Army and Navy Make Breakthrough on Joint Hypersonic Weapon Program
In a significant development for U.S. military capabilities, the Pentagon has announced a successful test of the Common Hypersonic Glide Body (CHGB) "All Up Round," marking a crucial milestone in the joint Army-Navy hypersonic weapon program. This breakthrough positions both service branches to accelerate deployment of advanced high-speed strike capabilities amid growing competition from Russia and China.
The Army's Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW), nicknamed "Dark Eagle," and the Navy's Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) system are separate but related programs sharing the same core technology. Both weapons utilize the Common Hypersonic Glide Body, which has now demonstrated successful performance in recent testing.
"This test builds on several flight tests in which the Common Hypersonic Glide Body achieved hypersonic speed at target distances and demonstrates that we can put this capability in the hands of the warfighter," said Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth in a Pentagon statement.
The Army's LRHW is designed as an air-transportable, mobile ground-fired system, while the Navy plans to deploy its CPS variant aboard Zumwalt-class destroyers and submarines. Despite their different platforms, both weapons rely on the identical 34-inch Common Hypersonic Glide Body booster.
U.S. Response to Growing Threats
The successful development comes at a critical time, as both Russia and China have made significant advances in hypersonic technology. Reports indicate China has tested the DF-27, an Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile with a hypersonic glide vehicle capable of traveling approximately 1,300 miles in just 12 minutes with a potential range of 5,000 miles.
More pressing is Russia's recent deployment of its "Oreshnik" hypersonic weapon against Ukraine in November 2024. According to Ukrainian authorities, the Russian missile reached speeds of Mach 11 (approximately 8,400 miles per hour) before striking its target in Dnipro.
The U.S. Army's Dark Eagle may offer superior capabilities in response, with reports suggesting it could achieve speeds of Mach 17 – over 13,000 miles per hour. According to Army statements cited in a Congressional Research Service report, the weapon can travel "well over 3,800 miles per hour" and "can reach the top of the Earth's atmosphere and remain just beyond the range of air and missile defense systems until they are ready to strike."
As global powers continue to develop increasingly sophisticated hypersonic capabilities, this successful test represents a significant step forward in America's efforts to maintain military technological superiority.
Sidebar: Key Players in America's Hypersonic Weapons Program
Defense Agencies
- U.S. Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO)
Lead agency for the Army's Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) - Strategic Systems Programs (SSP)
Navy office managing the Conventional Prompt Strike program - Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
Pioneered early hypersonic technology research through programs like Falcon and HAWC - Missile Defense Agency (MDA)
Contributing to both offensive capabilities and defensive countermeasures
Prime Contractors
Lockheed Martin
- Role: Prime systems integrator for both Army LRHW and Navy CPS
- Contributions: Weapon system integration, All Up Round development
- Facilities: Manufacturing and assembly at facilities in Alabama and Arkansas
- Contract Value: Approximately $1.2 billion across multiple hypersonic programs
Dynetics (Leidos subsidiary)
- Role: Common Hypersonic Glide Body (CHGB) production
- Contributions: Technical maturation and manufacturing readiness
- Facilities: Advanced Manufacturing Facility in Huntsville, Alabama
- Contract Value: $351.6 million for CHGB production contract
Northrop Grumman
- Role: Strategic partner for propulsion systems and integration support
- Contributions: Rocket motors, launch systems, and advanced materials
- Facilities: Testing at Promontory, Utah facility
Subcontractors and Partners
- General Atomics: Control systems and guidance components
- Raytheon Technologies: Sensor systems and integration
- BAE Systems: Advanced materials and thermal protection
- United Launch Alliance: Technical expertise in propulsion systems
- Sandia National Laboratories: Technical direction for CHGB design
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory: Materials research and development
Key Government Officials
- Christine Wormuth: Secretary of the Army, providing strategic guidance
- LTG Robert Rasch: Director, Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office
- VADM Johnny Wolfe: Director, Navy Strategic Systems Programs
- Dr. Mike White: Principal Director for Hypersonics, Office of the Secretary of Defense
Testing Infrastructure
- Pacific Missile Range Facility (Hawaii): Flight testing location
- White Sands Missile Range (New Mexico): Ground testing
- Sandia National Laboratories (New Mexico): Materials and component testing
- Arnold Engineering Development Complex (Tennessee): Wind tunnel testing
Historical Timeline
- 2018: U.S. Army selects Dynetics for CHGB development
- 2019: Army RCCTO established as lead for LRHW
- 2020: Initial flight tests of Common Hypersonic Glide Body
- 2022: Manufacturing facilities expanded
- 2023: Integrated system testing begins
- 2024: Successful All Up Round test
- 2025: Advancing toward initial operational capability
The Engineering Legacy: From X-15 to Dark Eagle
The cutting-edge hypersonic weapons being developed by the Army and Navy represent not just technological breakthroughs, but also the culmination of decades of scientific expertise and knowledge transfer dating back to the pioneering X-15 program of the 1950s and 60s.
The Hypersonic Pioneers
Today's hypersonic missile programs are led by some of the nation's most accomplished aerospace scientists, many with direct connections to earlier hypersonic research efforts.
Dr. Mark J. Lewis stands out as perhaps the most influential figure in modern U.S. hypersonic development. As the Pentagon's Director of Defense Research and Engineering for Modernization from 2019-2021 and former Chief Scientist of the U.S. Air Force, Lewis guided much of the government's recent hypersonic research. With decades of experience in hypersonic aerodynamics and propulsion integration at the University of Maryland, Lewis has been described as the "hypersonics sage" who helped prioritize these weapons in the defense budget.
"I often hear that hypersonics will be expensive," Lewis stated in a 2018 interview. "We don't know what it's going to cost. It'll probably be more expensive to build a hypersonic cruise missile than a subsonic cruise missile," but he emphasized the strategic importance outweighed cost concerns.
Another key figure is Dr. Kevin G. Bowcutt, Boeing's Chief Scientist of Hypersonics for over 40 years and member of the National Academy of Engineering. Bowcutt was the chief designer and originator of the X-51A Waverider, a crucial scramjet-powered demonstration vehicle that helped prove sustained hypersonic flight was possible. His contributions included developing the "viscous-optimized hypersonic waverider" concept and leading Boeing's contributions to international hypersonic flight experiments.
Dr. Ryan P. Starkey, Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado Boulder and former University of Maryland researcher, has specialized in missile-class hypersonic vehicles. His work on hydrocarbon combustion modeling and air-breathing hypersonic missile configurations within external box constraints has directly influenced current designs.
The X-15 Legacy Lives On
The current programs owe a significant debt to the X-15 experimental aircraft, which first demonstrated controlled hypersonic flight in the 1960s. The X-15 program, a collaborative effort between NASA, the Air Force, the Navy, and North American Aviation, set unofficial speed records of Mach 6.7 (4,520 mph) and altitude records of 354,200 feet.
The X-15's achievements directly contributed to both the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo spaceflight programs as well as the Space Shuttle. Key innovations from the X-15 that influenced today's hypersonic weapons include:
- Thermal protection systems needed to withstand extreme heating
- Aerodynamic control surfaces for hypersonic flight regimes
- Reaction control systems for flight beyond dense atmosphere
- Pilot/guidance controls for managing rapid trajectory changes
The X-15 program also established the scientific methodology for incremental testing of hypersonic technologies that carries through to today's development approach with the Common Hypersonic Glide Body.
In a fascinating first-hand account of the X-15 program from Dr. Harrison A. Storms, Jr., we can se a detailed description of the design challenges, engineering solutions, and management approaches offers valuable insights into how the X-15 program laid the groundwork for today's hypersonic missile technologies.
Key Engineering Innovations from the X-15 Program
The X-15 program required numerous technological breakthroughs that directly influenced modern hypersonic development:
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Advanced Materials and Structures: As Dr. Storms describes, "about 70 to 80 percent of structure of the X-15 are welded assemblies" using titanium and Inconel-X, materials that were barely understood at the time. This pioneering work in heat-resistant materials directly informs the thermal protection systems used in today's Common Hypersonic Glide Body.
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Reaction Control Systems: The X-15 featured hydrogen peroxide thrusters for pitch, yaw, and roll control in the near-vacuum environment at extreme altitudes. As Dr. Storms notes, "We now have our space-type controls complete" - technology that evolved into the precise control systems needed for modern hypersonic weapons.
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All-Moving Control Surfaces: The X-15 employed fully movable horizontal and vertical stabilizers rather than conventional rudders and elevators - a design approach now standard in high-speed aircraft and missiles including the Army's LRHW Dark Eagle.
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Energy Management: Dr. Storms explains the purpose of the X-15's dive brakes as "purely for energy management" - a critical consideration in any hypersonic vehicle's flight path. This same energy management principle is central to the trajectory design of modern hypersonic missiles.
Management Lessons for Today's Programs
Dr. Storms' account of the X-15's development also reveals valuable management approaches still relevant today:
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Focused Technical Teams: "I insisted that the NAA team members stay in their own field of responsibility and not attempt to run each other's area of expertise," Dr. Storms recounts. This specialized expertise approach mirrors the way Dr. Mark Lewis and Dr. Kevin Bowcutt have structured today's hypersonic development teams.
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Incremental Testing: The X-15 program followed a careful progression of test flights, starting with glide tests before moving to powered flight with smaller engines, and finally to the full XLR-99 engine. Today's Common Hypersonic Glide Body follows a similar methodical testing approach.
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Cross-Agency Collaboration: The X-15 succeeded through cooperation between the Air Force, Navy, NASA, and North American Aviation. Dr. Storms credits "a great spirit of understanding and cooperation" - a model reflected in today's joint Army-Navy hypersonic programs.
The Direct Line to Modern Hypersonic Weapons
The technological lineage from the X-15 to today's Dark Eagle and Conventional Prompt Strike is clear. The X-15's achievement of Mach 6.7 (4,520 mph) in 1967 established America's capabilities in the hypersonic regime. As noted in our main article, the Army's Dark Eagle is reported to potentially achieve speeds up to Mach 17, building on this foundation.
Dr. Storms' sentiment that "I have been very proud and pleased to be associated with this project and those who participated" echoes in the words of today's hypersonic pioneers like Dr. Bowcutt, who has spent his career advancing the technologies first proven on the X-15.
The X-15 program, declared by NASA as "the most successful research airplane project they have ever had," established both the technical capabilities and the methodological approach that continues to guide America's hypersonic weapons development nearly 60 years later.
Corporate Technical Leadership
The current Army-Navy hypersonic programs represent a collaborative effort across government agencies and major defense contractors. Lockheed Martin serves as the prime systems integrator for both the Army's Long Range Hypersonic Weapon and the Navy's Conventional Prompt Strike program, while Dynetics (a Leidos subsidiary) leads production of the crucial Common Hypersonic Glide Body.
As Robert Strider, former Deputy of the Army Hypersonic Project Office, noted: "The technical challenge of hypersonic flight demands the very best expertise across the defense industrial base."
The scientific foundation established by these engineers and scientists, building on decades of research dating back to the X-15, has positioned the United States to make this technological leap into operational hypersonic weapons despite the significant challenges involved.
The Scientific Minds Behind America's Hypersonic Revolution
Leading Hypersonic Experts
Dr. Mark J. Lewis
- Current Role: Executive Director of the National Defense Industrial Association's Emerging Technologies Institute
- Previous Positions:
- Acting Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (2020)
- Director of Defense Research and Engineering for Modernization (2019-2020)
- Chief Scientist of the U.S. Air Force (2004-2008) - longest-serving in Air Force history
- Willis Young Jr. Professor and Chair, Aerospace Engineering Dept., University of Maryland
- Education: Ph.D., M.S., and dual B.S. degrees from MIT in Aeronautics and Astronautics and Earth and Planetary Science
- Key Contributions: Guided much of the Pentagon's hypersonic research from 2019-2021, chaired the National Academies committee on hypersonic weapon threats, pioneered research in hypersonic aerodynamics and advanced propulsion
Dr. Kevin G. Bowcutt
- Current Role: Principal Senior Technical Fellow & Chief Scientist of Hypersonics for Boeing
- Experience: 40+ years in hypersonic vehicle design and aerodynamics
- Education: Ph.D., M.S., and B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from University of Maryland
- Affiliations:
- Member of the National Academy of Engineering
- AIAA Fellow
- Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society
- Fellow of the Hagler Institute of Advanced Studies at Texas A&M
- Key Contributions:
- Chief designer and originator of the X-51A Waverider scramjet-powered vehicle
- Developed viscous-optimized hypersonic waverider concept
- Led Boeing's contributions to the HIFiRE international hypersonic flight experiment program
- Supported NASA X-43A scramjet flight test program
- Currently leads Boeing's efforts in hypersonic missiles, aircraft, and spaceplanes
Dr. Ryan P. Starkey
- Current Role: Assistant Professor of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder
- Previous Position: Research faculty at University of Maryland
- Expertise: Hypersonic systems, propulsion, and miniaturized supersonic propulsion
- Notable Work:
- Research in missile-class, waverider-based hypersonic vehicle design
- Developed quasi-one-dimensional engine models for hypersonic applications
- Created innovations in hydrocarbon combustion modeling for hypersonic missiles
- Working on GoJett supersonic drone as cost-effective test platform
Historical Connections to Early Hypersonic Programs
The current hypersonic missile programs botn here and in China build directly on knowledge from pioneering experimental aircraft documented at the NASA online archive, including:
X-15 Program (1959-1968)
- Set speed (Mach 6.7) and altitude records (354,200 feet)
- Key Personnel:
- Scott Crossfield: First pilot, former NACA engineer
- William "Bill" Dana: NASA test pilot who flew final X-15 mission
- Milton O. Thompson: NASA test pilot whose insights influenced Space Shuttle design
Space Shuttle Program
- Incorporated lessons from X-15 for hypersonic reentry
- Key Knowledge Transfer:
- Thermal protection systems
- Aerodynamic stability at hypersonic speeds
- Reaction control systems for flight outside dense atmosphere
NASP and X-30 Programs
- Attempted to create single-stage-to-orbit, hypersonic spaceplane
- Though cancelled, provided critical research data for current programs
- Influenced later programs including X-43 and X-51
Current Program Integration Teams
Lockheed Martin Team (LRHW & CPS)
- Key Partners:
- Dynetics Technical Solutions (Common Hypersonic Glide Body)
- Integration Innovation Inc. (i3)
- Verity Integrated Systems
- Martinez & Turek Inc.
- Penta Research Inc.
Boeing Team
- Focused on air-breathing hypersonic vehicle technologies
- Leading research in scramjet propulsion for operational weapons
Research Institutions
- NASA Glenn Research Center
- Sandia National Laboratories (CHGB design technical direction)
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory (materials research)
- University of Maryland Hypersonic Research Programs
References and Sources
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